His cries were stormy, earning a look from passerby but no one dared to approach a boy buried in garbage. However, whilst his seemingly never ending wail, someone poked his shoulder.
Through his blurry eyes, he noticed a dirty-faced boy who was sweeping the garbage with him. He tried to ignore, but the boy was insistent.
"What do you want?" he roared with a hitch.
"That thing you just did. Can you do it again?" The boy blinked his big doe eyes.
Without understanding his intention, but feeling like he wouldn't leave otherwise, Taehyung did trick again.
"Woah!" the boy jolted in delight. His clothes were worn out, his face was muddy, but Taehyung could literally see his eyes sparkling brightly, shimmering with stars.
"That was amazing! Are you a wizard? How can you make something disappear and reappear? Please show me again!"
Taehyung, overcome with the boy's excitement, stopped sobbing.
The boy praised him and smiled widely as he performed again. And by a word of his cheer and genuine amazement, Taehyung unconsciously felt the weight in his heart being lifted gradually.
He felt like he saw a beacon of light glowing in pitch black darkness too murky to see an inch ahead.
Birds singing early in the morning had woken you up, with your half dazed mind, you went up your drawer to dress yourself. Tugging the ribbon behind your waist, you recalled what Jungkook had told you a week ago.
"Ever since I could remember, I was living on a street. Then I met Taehyung hyung, who knew magic tricks to earn money as a street performer. He let me stay with him although I knew no ways of earning money. Two small kids on a street. It wasn't easy."
"He worked hard to feed two mouths, when we were lucky we could buy two buns a day. When we were unlucky, we had to share a bun from the day before. Sometimes hyung would take only a bite and give it to me, saying he wasn't hungry. He had always been like that to me. Protective and offering."
"A year passed like that, until His Majesty came by the Western State to inspect and adopt us on a whim. He said he was impressed by hyung's magic skills or whatnot...it wasn't easy for him to adopt street children. Quite a fuss he went through then. I'm very thankful."
"And hyung is too. He studied and worked so hard so that people could stop slandering His Majesty. And look at him now? He is smart and strong, that many common people started admiring him for his background saying that he understands the common people because he was one."
"But then there still are those bastards who still look down on him just because he isn't a royal blood," Jungkook gritted his teeth, his eyes ignited with a flame of resentment. "They can insult me all they want, because I don't study and I'm incapable. But they should never insult my hyung because he isn't lacking in the slightest in any way."
You were quietly listening, while hanging up the laundry. You had an inkling and asked, "...are you perhaps skipping the study so that you can be the target instead of the Third Prince?"
Jungkook looked up and your eyes met. His expression was determined and honest.
He didn't answer your question and instead stated, "I don't exist without Taehyung hyung. I owe him my life."
Your mind full of thoughts, you headed to the maid's courtyard with a cue of a gong.
As soon as the morning briefing ended, the head maid called you. You were shocked to hear the words you weren't expecting.
"You don't have to work here anymore."
Your mouth fell open, cold sweat running down your back. Was it because you collected way too many leaves than the cook asked you to the other day? Was it because you took too much time delivering the cloth for decoration the other day? Was it because you folded the laundry clumsily the other day?
You could count so many reasons as to why you could be fired.
"I-I'm sorry ma'am! I will definitely do better so please don't kick me out...!" you desperately begged because you had nowhere else to go.
"Well, I can't do anything about it. The Bureau of Astronomy wants you to work there."
"...What?"
YOU ARE READING
An Ode to Maehwa | kth
Fanfiction"I'll make an oath. That even after 700 years, I'll find you." Lee Y/n was a university student who found history was the least thrilling subject. But who could have guessed that she'd go back in time, trapped in a historical turmoil? She was lost...
